For this post, I would like to talk about a cause that is particularly near and dear to my heart: The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. My father died of pancreatic cancer when I was four years old. Back when my father was diagnosed, there was little awareness for this disease and really no available treatments. Today, however, there is a glimmer of hope. More light has been shed on this horrible disease and great strides in research have led to a few new possible treatments. Although there has been significant advancements, pancreatic cancer is still one of the most fatal forms of cancer. The pancreas is a vital organ that one is not able to survive without. It sits behind many organs including the intestines and the stomach. Due to its location, it is very difficult to spot the cancer before it has already spread either throughout the whole pancreas or to other organs. Doctors and researchers are working together to ensure that pancreatic cancer be spotted before it has spread, because once this cancer spreads, certain treatments that are known improve the life of patients, like the Whipple surgery can no longer be performed. The physicians and researchers need help from people like us! Any donation will go a long way in the fight to end pancreatic cancer! As the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network’s slogan goes: “know it, fight it, end it.” You can make a difference!
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